July 02, 2010

Reporters Notebooks

Gary Klein, Los Angeles Times: USC's Lane Kiffin confirmed a report earlier this week on Larry Brown Sports that Trojan coaches made a second trip to Minneapolis to "basically re-recruit" Seantrel Henderson. USC also parted ways with running backs coach Todd McNair, a key figure in NCAA's investigation of the athletic department. McNair ran into trouble in the 1990s for two convictions for mistreating dogs.

Ron Musselman, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: Phase one of Penn State's
controversial new season-ticket plan, which takes affect in 2011, has
come to a close. The plan could generate as much as $24 million annually
for the athletic department, but not everybody is happy about it. Tom Noffsker, a
season ticket-holder for 35 years, was so upset with the 2011 seating
proposal that he decided not to renew his tickets this season. "I was
going to have to pay $1,200 just to buy tickets [in 2011] and then
another $800 for my tickets. That was just too much money.

Milton Kent, FanHouse: Does Erin Andrews need a new publicist,
particularly if her current one granted an interview to Vanity Fair? The
Q&A, which appears in the August issue, opens badly, with George
Wayne, a contributing editor who conducts the interview, characterizing
Andrews' father, Steve, a Tampa-area television reporter, as
a "stage daddy who seems to be really in control of your career."
Andrews deflected the question, but things only get worse.

Dwain Price, Fort Worth Star-Telegram: Former Texas Tech coach Mike Leach is optimistic he will be coaching again in 2011. "I don't have a crystal ball on that. But I don't guess they've heard the last of me." He is also working with Bruce Feldman on a book. "[The book is] coming out in January, so that'll keep me busy. If I'm not working [by January], I'll be out promoting the book, which, of course, will help sell more books."

Mel Bracht, Oklahoman: Sportscaster Ron Franklin, 68, who last year complained about his ESPN assignments and said he was considering retiring in April, recently signed a new two-year contract with the network. Franklin will continue to do play-by-play for college football and basketball.

Christian Boone and Chip Towers, Atlanta Journal-Constitution: Georgia athletic director Damon Evans has some explaining to do on
the home front. Evans, 40, a married father of two, was arrested late
Wednesday night in Atlanta for driving under the influence. He was in
the company of Courtney Fuhrmann, a 28-year-old woman who is not his wife
— someone Evans described as "just a friend." Link to public-service video of Evans welcoming Bulldog
fans to Sanford Stadium and urging them not to drink and drive.

David Ching, Athens Banner-Herald: A university's athletic director is often referred to as the face of his department. For the rest of his tenure at Georgia — however long that may be — the enduring image of Damon Evans' face will be his mug shot, both eyes closed, head cocked to the side.

Chip Scoggins, Minneapolis Star-Tribune: Former Notre Dame standouts believe the Fighting Irish should remain an independent. "Why would you want to take something so great and go into the Big Ten?" Brady Quinn said. "There's no reason to. We can play a better schedule."

Eric Hansen, South Bend Tribune: Notre Dame athletic director Jack Swarbrick, 56, said expansion talk is far from over. "That's not to suggest there's anything near term. I just believe that all the forces that were in play this time continue to exist, and will continue to exist through the range of my career at least. This will be back around."

Lost Lettermen: Move over, Brock Lesnar. A look at former football players who made the jump to mixed martial arts.

Brett Dawson, Louisville Courier-Journal: Kentucky has fired special teams coach Steve Ortmayer. He had been a member of the Wildcat staff for the past seven seasons.

Gentry Estes, Mobile Press-Register: Alabama's request for schedule adjustments to limit the number of teams with bye weeks before playing the Crimson Tide didn't get far.

David Owens, Hartford Courant: Douglas Davis, the uncle of John W. Lomax III, the man accused of killing Connecticut player Jasper Howard last fall, has been charged with hindering prosecution, making a false statement to police and interfering with police.

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